Land conversion is a difficult issue to resolve at either a theoretical or a practical level. By virtue of the range and diversity of information there are problems in synthesising data to obtain accurate models. It is argued that as a result many models of the conversion process are partial. With data obtained from studies in Basingstoke and Deane District, Hampshire, a new model, based on realist perspectives such as those of Lévi-Strauss, is proposed. It is argued that such a perspective offers a more accurate insight into land conversion.